'What should I do? Should I go save Hinamori? But I don't have any power right now. Going would just be suicide. Even if I don't go, Shinigami should arrive soon, and besides, in the future, she...'
Faced with the crisis of death, Toshiro hesitated. Not everyone can be fearless in the face of death. In his previous life, Toshiro was just an ordinary college student.
"Ugh!"
Toshiro pinched himself hard, and his body, which had frozen in fear, involuntarily twitched.
"How pathetic, Toshiro!"
"Someone is in danger because she was helping you, and you're running away out of fear, coming up with all these excuses! Regardless of what she might do in the future, right now she's in danger because of you. If you're a man, go save her!"
Toshiro shouted and charged toward the northern mountain.
Though not very large, the mountain north of 1st District was rich in resources. People often came here to gather herbs or hunt.
But now, a massive black Hollow with a long-nosed mask, a Gillian was wreaking havoc.
On a small path down the mountain, Momo, carrying a basket of herbs, was desperately running downhill.
However, the Hollow persistently chased in her direction. As someone who would later become a Lieutenant, Momo naturally possessed high Reiatsu. To the Hollow, she was like a firefly in the dark… conspicuous and alluring.
Fortunately, the initial distance between them was considerable, and the Gillian wasn't particularly fast, so it couldn't catch up immediately.
But even a Gillian's 'slow' speed is relative to a Shinigami's. If things continued like this, she would eventually be caught.
Boom!
A red Cero blasted the area behind Momo. Though it didn't hit her directly, the shockwave from the explosion sent her flying.
With a thud, Momo hit the ground, and her herb basket rolled away.
"Ah!" Momo tried to stand up and keep running, but a sharp pain shot through her right leg.
"Oh no, I twisted my right ankle," Momo said in panic.
Thud... Thud...
With each step the Hollow took, the ground shook.
Momo leaned back against a rock, watching the Hollow approach step by step. Despair washed over her, and her body trembled.
"I'm so scared. I'm so unwilling."
In just a few days, she was supposed to take the entrance exam for Shin'o Academy and eventually become a Shinigami. Now, she was going to die here.
"Is anyone there? Someone, please save me!" Momo cried out in despair.
"Hinamori, hold on! I'm coming to save you!" Not far away, Toshiro was sprinting at full speed.
In her despair, seeing Toshiro suddenly appear, Momo first felt overwhelming joy, followed immediately by panic.
"Toshiro, run! Don't come over here! You'll die!" Momo urged frantically.
As if he hadn't heard, Toshiro quickly ran to Momo's side.
"Are you okay, Hinamori?" Toshiro asked with concern.
"I twisted my ankle; I can't run. Toshiro, you have to go. Leave me!" Momo insisted.
"I'll carry you." Without allowing any argument, Toshiro picked Momo up and started moving.
The Hollow behind them kept closing in with large strides, occasionally firing Bala shots. Though Toshiro was lucky enough not to be hit directly, he was forced to dodge constantly, and the distance between them kept shrinking.
Eventually, the Hollow caught up.
"Roar!"
The Gillian kicked toward Toshiro. Its foot wasn't much smaller than Toshiro himself. If struck, Toshiro would be severely injured, if not killed.
Toshiro hastily dodged to the side.
Crash!
Where Toshiro had been standing, the kick left a large crater.
"Damn it, why haven't the Shinigami arrived yet? Their efficiency is terrible," Toshiro muttered.
…
"Achoo-"
En route to the Hollow's location, Zaraki Kenpachi, Captain of the 11th Division, suddenly sneezed and stopped. He asked Kusajishi Yachiru, who was sitting on his shoulder, "Yachiru, are we there yet? Are you sure it's this way?"
"Yep, yep, definitely this way... probably," Yachiru said uncertainly.
"Probably? You said 'probably', didn't you?" Zaraki asked.
"Geez, I guess I'll have to lead the way, then. This way it is!"
Zaraki randomly pointed in a direction.
Usually, when he took a wrong turn, his division's members would correct him. But today, as soon as Zaraki heard a Hollow had appeared, he got excited and ran out immediately, bringing no one except Yachiru, who was always with him.
…
Back at the mountain where the Hollow was.
'What should I do now? I can't outrun the Hollow. I have to fight.' Toshiro quickly thought through his options.
Suddenly, Toshiro spotted three bodies lying not far away, dressed in Shinigami's Shihakusho.
'Could they be Shinigami killed by that Gillian?' Toshiro guessed.
Then, Toshiro ran to the bodies and picked up one of the swords.
Toshiro set Momo down and said, "Hinamori, stay here. I'll deal with that Hollow."
"Shiro-chan..." Watching Toshiro, his hands trembling with fear as he gripped the sword, yet still resolutely charging toward the Hollow to protect her, Momo felt her heart ache deeply.
"Hyah!"
Toshiro, gripping the sword with both hands, shouted and slashed at the Gillian's leg. However, aside from a shower of sparks, it had no effect.
Only elite Shinigami who had mastered Shikai could handle a Gillian, the weakest of the Menos Grande.
The Gillian kicked again. Toshiro held the sword in front of him to block.
"Thud!"
Toshiro was sent flying, sword and all, and crashed hard onto the ground.
"Pfft!" Toshiro spat out a mouthful of blood. His entire body burned with pain.
"Toshiro!" Momo limped over, trying to help Toshiro up.
As Toshiro struggled to stand, he saw a red glow gathering at the mouth of the Hollow behind Momo… a Cero!
Instinctively, Toshiro spread his arms and shielded Momo.
This wouldn't accomplish much. If the Cero hit them directly, it would obliterate both Toshiro and Momo, leaving not even ashes behind.
Even the weakest of the Menos Grande, a Gillian's Cero was something Toshiro couldn't hope to withstand in his current state.
A red flash erupted from the Hollow's mouth. Toshiro instinctively closed his eyes.
'Ah... I, Hitsugaya Toshiro, just transmigrated here. I haven't even started my glorious life yet. Am I really going to die so simply here?'
'I wonder if dying this time means I'll truly die, or if I'll transmigrate again? If I can transmigrate again, I'd rather go back to my original world. I'd even give up that ten million.'